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Friday, February 22, 2008

KAMPALA - The latest political sleaze from Busia district (Uganda) is that former Samia Bugwe North MP Mugeni Steven Wasike has spent the second day in Maluku Prison, having been found in possession of a fake document.

Mugeni’s political rival and former area MP and presidential candidate Aggrey Awori and his lawyers successfully arrested and presented him before Mbale resident judge John Bosco Katutsi who booked for Mugeni a ‘room’ at Maluku for failure to pay UShs. 94m (Kshs. 4m) court costs to Awori and his lawyers. Awori is the younger brother to former Kenyan Vice President Arthur Moody Awori. They now find themselves in the periphery of their respective countries' politics after being rejected by their voters. Mugeni's wife Sarah Mwebaza Wasike, the new Samia Bugwe North MP confirmed the arrest of her husband and said that they were requesting Government and NRM party to come in and rescue her husband. "It was a bad Valentine day for me,” said Sarah, amidst sobs.

A source told Siasa Duni that Mugeni was arrested by a group of plain-clothed police officers and court bailiffs headed by Moses Kirunda in Kyaliwajala, Kampala, as he disembarked from his car. He was in possession of a fake document ostensibly issued by Local Government Minister, Kahinda Otafiire, claiming that he had no case to answer and his costs would be paid by the government. "We had a new court order to arrest him but since he had the fake document from Kahinda Otafiire, he was threatening us and bragging that we couldn’t arrest him," said Kirunda.

Kirunda said that Mugeni had rang him saying he would pay the fine when he felt like and not on condition, even by a court of law. This seemed to annoy everyone involved, and a man-hunt was born. Hassan Kamba, Awori's lawyer, said that Mbale Court refused to honour the Kahinda Otafiire’s document because it was written and signed without quotation of the law, and was not headed as a document from a minister. “It was just a piece of paper that the court couldn't honour,” added Kamba.

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